Fire-escape.



' PATENTED SEPT. 15, 1903.

, 11. HEATH. Y FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1903.

NO MODEL.

WITNESSES:

INVENTOR %W LWW BY ATTORNEY Patented September 15, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

DELIA HEATH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

$PECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,998, dated September 15, 1903.

' Application filed May 9, 1903. Serial No. 156,370. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that- I,DEL1A HEATH, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of New York, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates especially to devices employed for the escape of persons from the windows of a room or apartment in the case of fire, and has for its object the provision of a simple, cheap, effective, and sightly fire-escape which may be utilized for various other purposes and which may be expeditiously placed in position for use at any window of the room, apartment, or floor whereon the device is located.

To attain the desired end, my invention,

consists, essentially, in a folding metal ladder, the lower section when folded being provided with wheels or casters and with retaining-hooks for engaging eyes permanently secured in the floor beneath a window, a removable top fitting over the upper section of the ladder when folded, all of which will be hereinafter first fully described and then pointedout in the claims. 7.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figure l is a perspective view of my fire-escape as it appears when folded up. Fig. 2 is an interior elevation of a window, showing the escape in position for use; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation looking from the right of Fig. 2.

Similar numerals of reference wherever they occur indicate corresponding parts in. all the figures.

1 represents the side pieces of the ladder, and 2 the rungs, made of any approved material. The bottom or inner section of the lad der is provided with wheels or casters 3 and books 4 for engaging with screw-eyes 5 or the equivalent permanently fixed in the floor beneath a window-opening, such as 6.

7 is a removable cover or top placed over the upper section of the ladder when folded. This top may be covered with a cloth, such as 8; and utilized as a table, 850.

9 represents an eye fixed to the outside of the window-frame 10, and 11 is a chain removably held in the eyes 9.

When it becomes necessary to use my fireescape, the top 8, with any articles thereon, is lifted off of the ladder, which is rolled to the window where it is required and the hooks 4 connected to the eyes 5. The ladder is then unfolded and lowered out of the window, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The chain 11 is now attached to the eyes 9, this chain preventing falling of the person upon backing out of the window and placing the feet upon the ladder-rungs, as when footing is secured it is easy to slide from under the chain. When the device is not in use as a fire-escape, it may be left beneath the window or rolled to any part of the room as an article 'of furniture.

By providing the lowermost section of the ladder when folded at its opposite ends with pairs of wheels 3 the entire ladder, which when adapted for use in the upper apartment of a tall structure is very heavy, is rendered easily portable, thus permitting the occupant of the apartment to easily and rapidly shift it from one window to another or even from one apartment to another, which is often desirable in order to permit the ladder to hang downward past a window-opening from which flame or smokemay not be issuing. This arrangement also permits of the fire-escape being utilized as a portable article of furniture, as has been described.

- Having now fully described my invention,

what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- l; A portable fire-escape formed of rigid side pieces and rungs which constitute connecting-joints for the side pieces, whereby a ladder of sections adapted to be folded one above the other is formed,.in combination with supporting-wheels arranged in pairs at the opposite ends of the lowermost section of the ladder when folded, and means for, secur ing the said section to a part of the structure when it is put in use, substantially as set forth.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination with a I lion when the said ladder is in use, snbstan- IO ladder comprising sections arranged to be tially as set forth. folded on top of each other, a detachable top Signed by me at New York this 30th day arranged to fit over the folded sections to l of April, 1903. 5 form a table when the ladder is not in use Wheels attached to the section at the lower DELIA H end of the folded ladder, whereby the table Witnesses: may be moved about, and hooks attached to MARY HEATH, one end of the ladder for securing it in posi- A. M. PIERCE. 

